Movie review: A well-spun 'Spider-Verse'

Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger

Thursday

Dec 13, 2018 at 4:45 AM

What’s that you say? The superhero genre is oversaturated, overwrought and overstuffed? I could get behind that sentiment if it weren’t for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” The totally surprising animated delight shows that comic-book movies are far from passe. In fact, this one is such a unique entry in the Spider-Man world that it deserves repeat viewings (all those Easter eggs!). After all, it has multiple web slingers – seven. Yup, that’s a lot of Spider-Men for the price of one. Kapow!

It operates outside the realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, except for the cursory Stan Lee cameo that brings a tear the eye when you hear the voice of the late, beloved creator of Spidey. And it won’t be the only instance your eyes well. “Into the Spider-Verse” is full of heart and humor in touting a belief that we all have the potential to be heroic. It also captures the angst and awkwardness of being a teenager struggling to find an identity.

That the film is frenetic, fresh and appealing to all ages is not a surprise, considering it was produced by “The LEGO Movie’s” Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, and co-written by Lord. It’s just as meta as that movie. Directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsay and Rodney Rothman reimagine Spidey as Miles Morales (Shameik Moore, "Dope"), a biracial teenager from Brooklyn trying to adjust to a fancy, new private school, Visions Academic Academy. Like a lot of teens, he butts heads with his overprotective police officer father (this year’s IT character actor Brian Tyree Henry) and nurse mother (Luna Lauren Valez). He finds refuge in tagging graffiti with his uncle (“Moonlight” Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali). During one such outing, Miles is unknowingly bitten by a radioactive spider. Suddenly, Miles sticks to everything. He exerts abnormal strength and discovers other powers. He’s either Spider-Man or it’s puberty, Miles suspects. Watching Miles get comfortable with his newfound arachnoid abilities is more entertaining than you’d expect.

Miles gets tangled up with a half-dozen other versions of the character throughout the movie as parallel universes collide. There’s Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), the tough blonde who makes Miles tongue-tied; Spider-Noir (Nic Cage, in his best part in awhile) is a hard-boiled gumshoe; Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), hails from an anime universe; Spider-Ham (John Mulaney) is a goofy pig, aka Peter Porker; and Peter Parker (Chris Pine) is the Spidey version we’re most familiar with. He agrees to mentor Miles in the physics of web-slinging until, reluctantly, he cedes to Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), an old, thick-around-the-middle Spider-Man clad in sweatpants and dealing in regret and sarcasm. A “junky, old hobo Spider-Man,” as Miles says.

An array of familiar Spidey characters include dear Aunt May (Lily Tomlin) and Mary Jane (Zoe Kravitz). The plot is de rigueur, with good guys saving the world from bad ones. In this case, it’s Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), a mountain of a man, so big he fills the screen, and Doc Ock (Kathryn Hahn). The mad duo launch a “supercollider” that opens up portals to other universes. Havoc ensues.

Stylistically, the movie is a mix of CGI and hand-drawn animation. It feels like a live-action comic book. Word bubbles and bursts of “Slam-O!” and “Zoinks!” flash across the screen. Scenes are busy, full of action and frenetic imagery and color. It’s a full-on sensory experience, one where deep in the background a guy gets hit between the eyes by a wayward bagel. It’s hysterical. Ditto for a running gag about Spider-Noir and a Rubik's cube. It also serves as a valentine to previous Spider-Men and pokes good fun at geek pop culture like Comic-Con.

At one point, Miles is told to write a school essay on what kind of person he wants to be. Initially, he’s stuck, but eventually finds the answer. So do we. He’s a Spidey you can’t get enough of and can’t wait to see again.